Black Friday Fitness Equipment Deals 2016

This year, with more retailers staying closed Thanksgiving Day, fitness sales are especially expected to start early online. Starting on Thursday and before, shoppers can save up to 50% on treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes and gyms from the 2016 model year. And for those who stay cutting-edge, new fitness equipment for 2017 is making its debut. Whatever year-end fitness deal you’re after, here are tips to help you find a true Black Friday bargain.

Black Friday Tip 1: Buy Online

Last year more than half of Black Friday sale shoppers took their holiday shopping lists online. Shopping online for just about anything has obvious advantages: spending less, saving time, and avoiding crowds. For fitness equipment, Black Friday sales especially have price advantages if you buy online directly from the manufacturers. Here’s why:

Most brands of home fitness equipment are sold with free factory-direct shipping whereas local stores might charge extra for delivery.

The overall value tends to be highest when you buy directly from the manufacturer instead of through a sporting goods store or other third party. Sometimes the in-store Black Friday sale prices are identical to what’s seen on brand websites, but the stores tend to include shorter warranties. This allows them to take a profit in a less obvious way.

In sum then, shop the online fitness deals Black Friday for less stress and better values.

Black Friday Tip 2: Sometimes Older Is Wiser

Out with the old, in with the new. Around Black Friday sale time, vendors have both older and newer fitness machine models in stock. Cardio machines and strength trainers with the deepest discounts were generally equipment built for 2015 and 2016. They cost significantly less than the new equipment being shown for 2017. Unless owning the very latest version of a fitness machine is important to you, opting for the cheaper version is almost always a much better option. Here are a few trends to look for in different departments.

Black Friday Treadmill Sales

Treadmills are America’s most popular cardio trainers. That’s partly because they’re so simple, and yet these machines still get upgraded all the time. Among the most cutting-edge features on treadmills for the 2016 and 2017 model years are Bluetooth for automated fitness tracking, popular media apps such as Hulu and Netflix, and interactive video workouts.

Whatever price category you choose, know that the current minimum performance standards for home treadmills are about 2.5 CHP drives for walkers’ treadmills and 3.0 CHP for runners’ treadmills. If the treadmill has a lighter drive, then it’s probably not the best Black Friday deal.

Black Friday Exercise Bike Sales

Following closely on the heels of treadmills, exercise bikes are close seconds in popularity for home gyms. Most exercise bikes are small in comparison with non-folding treadmills, so they make sense even in small apartments. Exercise bike technology doesn’t change as significantly as treadmill technology from year to year. The main decision for Black Friday exercise bike shoppers is the main type of bike to bring home:

Upright exercise bikes are classic exercise bikes for general use. Sometimes these are called “stationary bikes” in Black Friday sale ads.

Indoor cycle trainers are built for the most intense strength and cardio training. These machines are also called spin bikes.

Recumbent bikes support the most comfortable rides. They have chair-like seats with lumbar support and are low impact on knees and ankles when compared with upright bikes and spin bikes.

For each category of exercise bike FitRated.com has comparison charts showing top models to check out during Black Friday fitness sales.

Black Friday Elliptical Sales

Elliptical machines are excellent cardio trainers, plus they support weight-bearing exercise while putting minimal stress on a trainee’s frame. Here are a few tips about what to look for in one of these total body trainers…

Resistance: Pay close attention to flywheel weight, as the heavier flywheels tend to bring the smoothest performance. Avoid buying an ultra-cheap elliptical with a flywheel under 15 pounds, as it won’t bring anything close to the smooth ergonomics you’ll aiming for!

Best Armbars: For the upper body, the most elite ellipticals have multi-position handlebars. Multiple grip options promote comfort and support workout diversity for the arms and core. This helps the elliptical be an excellent body sculptor as well as calorie burner.

Versatile Stride: For the lower body the most popular optional feature on home elliptical machines is adjustable stride. Adjustable stride helps ensure that the machine fits each trainee comfortably, plus it allows for more dynamic workouts with targeted toning for the lower body.

Black Friday Home Gyms

Dumbbells and all-in-one home gyms aren’t updated so often, at least not compared with cardio trainers. But while dealers might not have clearance sales on older models, they do offer big Black Friday discounts: Free weight systems from top brands will sell for $500 or less, and multi-gyms are holiday priced at under $1K and up. Shipping is free when you buy factory-direct too, and that makes a difference when hundreds or thousands of pounds are being sent your way.

Black Friday Fitness Newsletter

Shop the Black Friday fitness sales online and stress-free! Let us do the work and sign up for our last-minute newsletter for an extra shot at finding your Black Friday fitness deal. We pride ourselves in finding the best and honest deals out there.

About FitRated

Feeling overwhelmed looking for the best fitness gear? Our goal with this website is to make it easier for you.

We compile crucial info about popular fitness equipment, then assign a single rating out of 5 stars with our exclusive algorithm (based on 100s of customer & expert reviews), all to save you time and money meeting your fitness goals.